When the basketball world went wild over LaVar Ball’s recent criticism of Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton, with NBA coaches and stars weighing in on the comments made by Lonzo Ball’s famous father while his Big Baller Brand received another round of free publicity, there was one key component missing from the conversation.

Reality.

Yet despite LaVar’s assertion to ESPN that the Lakers (13-27) were “not playing for Luke no more,” or that he’s “not connecting with one player,” a person with direct knowledge of the Lakers’ thinking told USA TODAY Sports that Walton’s job is not in danger and that the organization still has complete faith in the coach who is in the second season of a five-year, $25 million deal. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

What's more, the person insisted that the Lakers have no regrets about drafting Lonzo No. 2 overall out of UCLA in June.

LaVar’s commentary created the perception that Walton’s job was in serious jeopardy, but recent evidence paints a different picture. Beating Atlanta and Sacramento in back-to-back games that followed LaVar’s comments doesn’t constitute a total turnaround, but it was enough to relieve some pressure after the Lakers had lost nine straight. And while new basketball president Magic Johnson has continued to stay silent on the matter publicly – a move that many around the league consider ill-advised – there was much to be gleaned from the words of rookie guard Kyle Kuzma when he weighed in on the matter on Sunday.

“It’s a just a lot of white noise, in a sense,” he told reporters about LaVar’s comments. “Luke is my guy. I love playing for him. I’m sure most of us love playing for him, too. We’ve just got to stay locked in as a family, listen to the people that really matter in our lives – basketball lives – and that’s everybody in this organization.

“There’s a lot of times when you have a losing streak, you can go home and, you know, listen to people and let them get in your ears. But the people that really matter is the people that are in the Lakers organization. We stand by Luke. I know the front office does.”

The support for Walton goes all the way up to ownership, which is interesting because, well, Lonzo himself has yet to voice the kind of support that seems to be so rampant elsewhere. When asked about LaVar’s views on Sunday, Lonzo's comment that “I’ll play for anybody” sparked all sorts of speculation that the dynamic between him and his coach might need work. And because the Lakers don't have buyer's remorse, the reality is that this will remain a crucial coach-player pairing for their foreseeable future.

30. Atlanta Hawks (10-29) | Last week: 29 - What's worse than getting blown out by the lowly Lakers? Getting blown out by the lowly Lakers two nights after getting blown out by Portland, which came three nights after a last-second loss to Phoenix. Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports

28. Los Angeles Lakers (12-27) | Last week: 30 - After another week in which off-the-court drama overshadowed an inferior on-court product, the Lakers managed to snap their nine-game losing streak on Sunday with a rout of Atlanta for their first win at Staples Center since November. Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

27. Sacramento Kings (13-25) | Last week: 27 - The Kings are losing games by an average of 16.3 points — the worst mark in the NBA since Charlotte in the 2011-12 season. Sergio Estrada, USA TODAY Sports

26. Memphis Grizzlies (12-27) | Last week: 26 - With all the negative story lines to come out of Memphis this season, the resurgence of Tyreke Evans is something we can all get behind. The 28-year-old, whose career has been marred by injuries since he won Rookie of the Year in 2010, has been the Grizzlies' best player thus far, averaging 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 41.6% from beyond the arc. Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Sports

25. Dallas Mavericks (13-28) | Last week: 23 - Though they're tied for the second-most losses in the NBA this season, the Mavericks have only lost those games by an average of 9.2 points — tied for seventh-best in the league. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

24. Chicago Bulls (14-26) | Last week: 21 - It appears as though the Bulls have found themselves a point guard for the future in Kris Dunn, who was one of just six players in December to average at least 14 points and eight assists. Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY Sports

22. Phoenix Suns (16-26) | Last week: 24 - Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender, two building blocks on Phoenix's roster, put together two of the best games of their young careers in Sunday's win over Oklahoma City. Bender sank a career-high six three-pointers (on only eight attempts) and Jackson tallied career bests in rebounds (10) and assists (five). Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports

21. Charlotte Hornets (15-23) | Last week: 25 - The Hornets, who committed just three turnovers in Tuesday's win over Sacramento, lead the league in ball security with 500 turnovers through 38 games. Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports

20. Utah Jazz (16-24) | Last week: 20 - The Jazz, losers of eight of their past 10 games, are last in the NBA in offensive rating during that span, scoring just 99.2 points per 100 possessions. Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports

19. New York Knicks (19-21) | Last week: 18 - Just how much do the Knicks miss Tim Hardaway Jr., who has been sidelined since late November with a leg injury? Their offense ranks 27th in the NBA (102.7 points scored per 100 possessions) in 19 games since he went down. It ranked 13th in the 21 games prior. Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports

18. Los Angeles Clippers (17-21) | Last week: 19 - Lou Williams, now in his 13th NBA season, is making a strong case for his second Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging career highs in points (21.9 per game), assists (4.9) and three-point percentage (40.6). Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

17. New Orleans Pelicans (19-19) | Last week: 15 -
Despite all the ups and downs that have come with the 2017-18 campaign, the Pelicans still hold a two-game lead over the ninth-place Clippers and have a favorable schedule ahead, as eight of their remaining 12 games this month are against teams that would be on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today. Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

16. Indiana Pacers (20-19) | Last week: 16 - Victor Oladipo returned from a four-game absence on Saturday, and just like that, the Pacers looked like a playoff team again, routing Chicago to snap a five-game losing streak. Trevor Ruszkowski, USA TODAY Sports

15. Philadelphia 76ers (19-19) | Last week: 17 - The Sixers boast the NBA's largest margin of victory (60 total points) over the past four games and are right back in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports

14. Portland Trail Blazers (21-18) | Last week: 12 - Shabazz Napier has been stellar while filling in as a starter for Damian Lillard, averaging 18.2 points, 5.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and two steals in five games, four of which were wins. Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports

13. Detroit Pistons (21-17) | Last week: 9 - The Pistons, sans Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, put together a much-needed win over Houston on Saturday, downing yet another one of the top teams in the Western Conference. They've also beaten Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Minnesota (twice) this season. Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports

12. Denver Nuggets (21-18) | Last week: 13 - Trey Lyles, who Utah sent to Denver on draft day for rookie Donovan Mitchell, has been a pleasant surprise for the Nuggets since Paul Millsap went down, averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in just 28.5 minutes in his past 15 games. Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports

11. Milwaukee Bucks (21-17) | Last week: 11 - The Bucks are on the verge of adding a former No. 2 overall pick and All-Star caliber talent to their lineup in Jabari Parker, who's recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee for the second time in three years. Parker, slated to return some time in February, says "the only thing that’s left is conditioning." Russell Isabella, USA TODAY Sports

10. Miami Heat (22-17) | Last week: 14 - The Heat have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the past 10 games and find themselves sitting comfortably in the Eastern Conference playoff race, sandwiched ½ game between Washington and Milwaukee for fifth place. Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports

9. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-18) | Last week: 10 - Paul George has made 118 three-pointers this season, good for third in the NBA, and leads the league in steals with 87. He's also shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc — a significant increase over his previous career high of 39.3%. Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports

6. Houston Rockets (27-11) | Last week: 3 - The Rockets, who just three weeks ago sat atop the NBA at 25-4, have lost seven of their last nine and are now just 1 ½ games ahead of San Antonio for second place in the West. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

5. San Antonio Spurs (27-14) | Last week: 6 - San Antonio suffered another setback in the injury department Friday, with Kawhi Leonard going down with a partial tear in his left shoulder. This time, though, the Spurs don't expect their perennial MVP candidate to miss an extended period of time. Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

3. Toronto Raptors (27-10) | Last week: 4 - The Raptors, who boast a 14-1 record at home, play eight of their 12 remaining games this month at Air Canada Centre. Two of those games — Jan. 11 and 13 — are against Cleveland and Golden State. Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports

2. Boston Celtics (33-10) | Last week: 2 - The Celtics, who head to London for Thursday's matchup with the 76ers riding an NBA-best six-game winning streak, are on pace to finish with the franchise's best record since 2007-08. David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports

1. Golden State Warriors (32-8) | Last week: 1 - Stephen Curry has scored 144 points in four games since returning from the ankle injury that kept him sidelined for 11 consecutive games, which, according to Elias Sports Bureau, is the highest point total for a player in his first four games back after missing 10 straight since Chris Webber in 2001. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports